The American League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
by Deus X Machina
Summary: As tensions with Britain mount, America forms its own League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Members include the Man With No Name, Paul Bunyan, Jesse Tuck, Dorothy Gale, Morella, and the Headless Horseman. Takes place between Volumes 1 and 2.
1. Chapter 1

The man's left arm reached out from underneath his desert-dusted poncho to grasp the cold glass the bartender offered him. Taking a gulp of the fiery drink, the man turned to survey the scene around him. The saloon was filled with the sounds of gambling and laughter. The man watched with little interest.

The saloon's patrons fell into the silence as they heard dozens of hooves galloping down the road outside. The man at the bar chuckled as his right hand traced the silver rattlesnake inlaid in the grip of his Colt Single Action Army. Things were about to get interesting.

The hooves stopped outside the saloon and were replaced with the rhythmic thumping of boots. The metronome precision of the footsteps told the man in the poncho that the people outside were soldiers.

Sure enough, several men in blue uniforms marched through the saloon's gates with rifles slung over their shoulders. They formed a protective aisle leading from the gate straight to the man's barstool. A soldier, his uniform showing him to be a colonel, pushed through the saloon's gates. He walked down the aisle of soldiers until he stood in front of the man.

"Good afternoon, sir. I'm looking for someone," said the colonel. "Someone you know well. I'm hoping you can help me."

The man took another swig of his drink. "Always happy to serve the fine, upstanding men of the US Army," he answered. "What's his name?"

"His name's a bit of a mystery, I'm afraid," said the colonel. "I know him only by his accomplishments. He brought ruin to the Rojo and Baxter clans. He brought down dangerous bandits like El Indio and Angel Eyes." The general looked pointedly at the man. "Know of him?"

Tired of the banter, the man nodded. "You've got him. You can call me…" The man paused, as if trying to think of a name. "Joe Manco. And what about you?"

"Colonel Henry Fleming of the United States Army at your service. Perhaps you'd like to come outside where we can speak in private."

After a moment's consideration, Joe Manco abandoned his drink and followed Colonel Fleming outside where several horses, more blue-clad soldiers, and a stagecoach were waiting. Fleming pulled open the coach's door and the two men went inside, sitting on benches opposite each other.

"I never liked traveling by coach," said Fleming. "More used to the saddle than to cushioned benches."

"What's this all about?" Manco asked, ignoring Fleming's attempt to make conversation. "What is it that brought a colonel all the way out here to find me?"

"I'm putting together a special team," said Fleming. "A team of people with extraordinary talents."

"You want me to join it?"

"I want you to lead it."

"I don't shoot for free."

"You won't have to."

"Well thank you, taxpayers."

"So you're in?"

"Yeah."

"Excellent!" said Fleming. "Now I won't have to draft you." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. "This is a list of people I want you to recruit. They'll be your future teammates. Be careful, as not all of them are as, erm, _upstanding_ as yourself."

Joe Manco looked over the paper. The first recruit lived only a day's ride away. Tipping his hat to Fleming, he stepped out of the coach and left.

**XXXXX**

Manco's first recruit was easy to find. All he had to do was follow the loud trumpeting sounds in the distance. At first, Manco had thought that the great booms that shook the tall trees were earthquakes, but he found that they happened too regularly. No, it was a human voice. As Manco got closer, he could hear the word that it formed. "Timber!"

Having left his horse in town, Manco felt out of his element. He was used to the prairie and the desert. He was used to wide open spaces, hot sun, and dirt. The cool air of the tree-shaded woods felt alien to him.

Soon Manco found the man he was searching for. The lumberjack was perhaps fifteen feet tall with a black bushy beard. He swung an axe longer than Manco was tall, cutting down several trees with a single swing. Nearby, a giant blue ox grazed on grass and leaves.

Manco craned his neck upward. "You're Paul Bunyan." It wasn't a question.

The giant lumberjack turned to see the bounty hunter. He gave a great friendly smile behind his dark beard. "That I am, little man!" he boomed. Manco felt Bunyan's voice making his bones vibrate. "And who are you, friend?"

"I'm Joe Manco. The US military wants us for a special team."

Bunyan's smile faded. "The military?" His expression grew nervous. "Don't that mean, y'know, killing?"

"There could be a lot more killing if we don't get your help," said Manco. As he spoke, he felt slightly queasy. It felt dishonest pretending to care about protecting people when his only interest was a the thick wad of taxpayer dollars that would be given to him.

"But I've never killed anyone before," said Bunyan.

"Don't worry," said Manco. "You get used to it."

Bunyan was torn. He didn't want to kill anyone but he hated to think that there would be deaths he could have prevented. Finally, he nodded. "I'll go with you."

**XXXXX**

Colonel Henry Fleming led his men down the overgrown path through the woods. According to their information, their next recruit lived with his family in an isolated cabin, hidden from society. It was difficult to find, but now they stood outside the house.

"Is the Tuck family home?" Fleming called.

Four people came out to greet the soldiers, one older-looking man, a woman who Fleming knew to be his wife, and two "young" men. "Angus Tuck at your service," said the man.

"Colonel Henry Fleming at yours and your family's. Your country needs you and your unique abilities."

"Why's that?" asked Mae Tuck, Angus's wife.

"Tensions with Britain have been rising," said Fleming. "The aid they gave the Confederacy during the rebellion didn't help our relations with our former overlords. Now we know they've developed a new material that allows them to make flying ships. They could be able to destroy entire cities by bombing them safely from the air. I am creating a special team to help fight against this new menace and I want at least one of you to be a part of it."

Angus pursed his lips, thinking. "I need a minute to talk to my family." Without waiting for his answer, the four Tucks went back inside their house.

The four of them sat down in their living room.

"Tuck," Mae said to her husband. "I think I should be the one to go with them…"

"No," Angus cut her off. "I think it should be Jesse."

"Why Jesse?" Miles, the Tuck family's older son, asked.

"I know why," said Jesse. "It's because I'm the only one who tried to give the spring water to someone else and you want me as far away from it as possible."

"Jesse," said Angus, "I know livin' forever can get lonely. But we can't pass this curse on to anyone else."

Without answering, Jesse rose from his seat and went outside to the soldiers. "Colonel Fleming," he said, "I'll go."

"Wonderful!" said the Colonel. He handed Jesse a train ticket. "Your new colleagues should be on their way to Kansas by now. If you take this train, you should be able to catch up with them.

**XXXXX**

Manco and Bunyan, who'd had to travel on an open flatbed car, got off at a train station in Kansas. Manco led his horse out of its boxcar.

"Mr. Manco?" asked a young boy.

"Yeah. And you are?"

"Jesse Tuck. Colonel Fleming sent me."

"Oh yeah. You're on that list he gave me. You as strange as ol' Paul here?"

Jesse looked up at the giant Bunyan. "Stranger, I'll bet," Jesse answered. "What are we doing here in Kansas?"

"There's a girl we're to meet with. Miss Dorothy Gale."

Dorothy Gale lived on a farm with her aunt and uncle. The three men approached the farm and saw a man about to enter his house after a long, hard day of work.

"Pardon me," said Manco. "My name's Joe Manco. These are my associates Mr. Bunyan and Mr. Tuck. We represent the United States army and we're looking for Dorothy Gale."

The man looked at him suspiciously. Joe Manco was an unsavory-looking character. "You don't look like any soldiers I've ever seen. You're not getting anywhere near my right this way please." The man opened the door and led the trio inside, Bunyan crouching down to fit.

"Wha?" said Jesse, echoing Manco's thoughts exactly.

As if hypnotized, the man led them into the house. "Dorothy!" he called. "Some people are here to see you."

A young girl in a blue dress, her brown hair in pigtails, bounced down the stairs. "I'm coming, Uncle Henry." She put on a perfect little smile, the perfect picture of a young Midwest lady, but froze when she saw the hard scowl of Joe Manco. "Um, what can I do for you gentlemen?"

Manco was suddenly unsure of what to say. How could he tell a girl in her early teens that the US government needed her to join a covert military unit?

Jesse stepped forward. "Dorothy, your country needs you. Do you have any unique abilities or experiences?"

"Well, yes," said Dorothy. "But what good can I do? What could the government want from me?"

"I know," said a newcoming voice. Except for the mesmerized Uncle Henry, every head turned to see a young, black-haired woman slightly older than Dorothy. She held a box in her arms.

"And you are?" asked Manco.

"Morella," the woman answered. "I'm on your list. I figured I'd come here to meet you and save you the trouble of finding me." She held out the box to Dorothy. "I also have something that belongs to you."

Dorothy opened the box and gasped. Manco, Bunyan, and Jesse leaned forward to look inside and saw a pair of red shimmering shoes.

"I thought I'd lost them. Thank you, Miss Morella!" Dorothy said happily as she put them back onto her feet.

"You weren't experienced enough to control such powerful magic," said Morella. "That's why you lost them. But with me here to help you, you won't have to worry about that anymore." She turned to Manco. "Now, I believe there's one more person on our list."

"Yeah, if you can call him a person," said Manco. Morella chuckled in understanding.

"Our train leaves tomorrow."

"Actually, we can get there now," said Morella. "Dorothy can do it."

"How?" asked Jesse.

"What's the name of the town we're going to?"

"Sleepy Hollow," said Manco.

"Dorothy, you know what to do," said Morella.

Dorothy clicked the heels of her shoes together three times. "Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow."

**XXXXX**

The town of Sleepy Hollow was quiet, sparse, and almost empty. The town's sky was overcast and Manco truly could not picture it any other way. Despite being a small, dense town, there was no feeling of community. There were no friends sitting together laughing. No gossiping women. No playing children. Just the mechanical duties of day-to-day living. Everyone was quiet, as if there were some subject they were hoping to avoid discussing. Even as the strange group, including the giant Paul Bunyan, passed them by, they all kept their eyes on their work or on their ground.

"It will be nightfall soon," said Morella. "That's when the Horseman will appear. You will need me to subdue him."

As night fell, the group walked past the church graveyard and across an old wooden bridge. Morella led the way, holding a lantern.

"So how exactly do we find this thing?"asked Jesse.

"We don't find him," said Morella, the flickering light illuminating her grinning face. "He finds us."

And so the group waited. Over the next hour, their ears would perk up as they heard imaginary hoofbeats.

Dorothy let out a sob. It was cold, dark, and scary. Bunyan put a comforting hand on the girl's back.

"He's here," whispered Morella. Manco reached for his revolver, knowing it would be useless.

The hoofbeats grew nearer and soon, against the darkness of the night forest, they saw a shape that was darker than black galloping up the path towards them. Upon a dark horse was a man in black, a cape flowing behind him and a saber on his belt. With a harsh metallic sound, the Headless Horseman drew his sword and held it high, ready to take their heads.

Morella stood. "Halt, Horseman!" The black horse reared up on its hind legs and whinnied.

For a moment, Morella and the Horseman stood, sizing each other up. Then, they heard a deep laugh that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Do you think you can control me, witch?" said the Horseman.

"I know I can free you, Horseman," said Morella. "If you wish to venture beyond the bridge and leave the prison of Sleepy Hollow, then you will do as I say."

The Horseman let out a breath that sounded like a moan echoing in a cave. After several tense moments, the Horseman sheathed his sword.

Manco let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Dorothy, take us to the Library of Congress."

**XXXXX**

Deep in the bowels of the Library, hidden away from the public, the new team met with Colonel Henry Fleming, who would explain why the team was formed and brief them on their first mission. They sat down at a long table with Fleming at the head, Manco, Morella, and the Horseman on his left, Dorothy and Jesse sitting to his right, and Bunyan sitting at the other end of the table in a large, specially-made chair.

"The British have created a new material that repels gravity," said Fleming. "It is called Cavorite, named for its inventor Dr. Cavor. The first batch of Cavorite was stolen by a crime lord who used it to power a flying ship that he used to destroy Limehouse in London." Fleming placed a folder filled with photographs onto the table. Eyes widened and breaths caught in throats as they saw the complete destruction that these ships were capable of. "As you can see, these new airships give Britain the power they need to take back their colonies if they desire. The purpose of this team is to maintain America's independence. Your first mission is to find Dr. Cavor and bring him to us."


	2. Chapter 2

Three clicks of Dorothy's heels took the new covert team to nighttime London on the edge of the River Thames. After the incident with James Moriarty and Fu Manchu, the English had realized the destructive potential behind Cavorite. According to Fleming's intelligence, Professor Cavor had since been relocated to a secret laboratory in the British Museum under the protection of a special team. However, details on Cavor's new protectors were lacking.

Leaving Dorothy by the Thames, the rest of the team walked two blocks to the British Museum. Morella, Bunyan, and the Headless Horseman would create a diversion at the front of the building. Manco and Jesse would sneak in through the back and into the basement, where Cavor's new laboratory was supposed to be. Once they retrieved the Cavorite, Manco would fire three shots into the air, signaling them to retreat. Dorothy, being young and unusable in combat, would wait by the river as the team's exit strategy.

"I don't like leaving little Dorothy all by herself at night," said Bunyan as the team made its way to the Museum.

"Would you feel more comfortable if she came with us?" asked Morella.

Morella, Bunyan, and the Horseman, leading his black horse on foot, reached the front of the British Museum. Morella looked at her watch.

"Manco and Tuck should be in place," she said. She drew a magic wand tipped with a red ruby. "Let's get started." She pointed her wand at the front of a museum. The red stone buzzed to life and, by some invisible force, a large section of the museum's front wall was blown away.

Paul Bunyan drew his trusty axe and swung at one of the marble columns that decorated the museum's front, tearing them to white rubble. Green-clad soldiers, their uniforms bearing a golden square and compass symbol, swarmed from the museum's doors and fired their rifles at him. Their bullets did less damage against Bunyan's tough skin than the stings of bees. Not wanting to kill any of the soldiers, Bunyan struck each one with his massive fist, knocking them unconscious.

The Headless Horseman was not so merciful. Mounting his spectral steed, the undead Hessian drew his saber. His horse flew, rather than galloped, up the steps and through the throng of soldiers. His wicked saber flashed. With each swipe, several English soldiers lost their heads. His horse reared back on its hind legs as its master swung a silver blade stained red.

"STOP!" shouted a voice with an Indian accent. The three Americans heard the metallic sound of a sword being drawn from within the shadows of the museum.

"Well, Nemo, it looks like we've got some entertaining guests," said another voice.

"I suppose you will take the large one, Hyde?"

"Sheathe your sword, darkie, and I'll take care of all three."

"Don't be a fool, Hyde. Take the big one."

"Fine," Hyde growled. A gigantic, hunched over beast emerged from the museum. Setting his eyes on Bunyan, he said, "It seems I have a worthy opponent at last. Edward Hyde at your service."

"Paul Bunyan at yours."

"Bunion?!" Hyde laughed loudly. "You're named after a growth on someone's foot? I pity you. You might as well be named Paul Arse Pimple." With introductions made, the two behemoths began their fistfight. Hyde scored first blood, striking Paul across the face. The lumberjack's mighty fist found Hyde's gut.

"OOF!" Hyde was winded. "You redneck, Yankee bastard!" He raised his fist for another powerful blow, only to be blasted by Morella's ruby-tipped magic wand. Grabbing a piece of rubble from one of the columns Bunyan destroyed, Hyde hurled it at Morella, hitting her in the stomach and knocking her out, blood squirting from between her lips.

"You and me, Yank."

Meanwhile, Nemo held out his saber in challenge to the Horseman. Dismounting, the Horseman lunged at the science-pirate. Their blades whirled in a silvery dance, neither able to gain ground against an equally powerful opponent. It mattered not to the Horseman. Nemo was fighting to win, to drive the intruders from the museum. The Horseman only sought to buy time.

**XXXXX**

Manco and Jesse snuck through the dark basement of the British Museum as, above them, the muted sounds of battle shook through the walls. Manco held his Colt Peacemaker while Jesse carried the Tuck family shotgun, which his mother had once used to kill a man.

The basement was filled with all sorts of bizarre artifacts. Strange weapons, paintings, fossils, strange embalmed creatures, and strange live creatures.

Holding a map of the basement in his left hand, Manco said, "Cavor's lab is supposed to be around he-" He was interrupted by the loudest gunshot he had ever heard.

A large caliber bullet blew a great hole in the wall right behind Jesse's back.

"Good lord," said an old man, carrying an elephant gun. "Did I actually miss?"

"Nope," Jesse said good-naturedly. "You got me." He pointed at a hole blown right through the middle of his shirt. "It just passes through me. Long story." He fired his shotgun into the old man's leg.

"Mr. Quatermain?" a woman called, hearing the old man's cries of pain.

"Mina, run!" said Quatermain as a brown-haired woman in a nightdress and scarf (strange combination of clothes) appeared from around the corner. At her colleague's suggestion, Mina turned and ran. As she ran under an unusually long-legged skeleton, one of the museum's many oddities, Manco fired a well-placed shot into its leg, causing it to fall on top of her.

"You American devils!" Quatermain cursed at them.

Manco aimed his revolver at the old man. "Where's Cavor?"

"I'll tell you nothing!"

Manco turned his gun towards Mina. "Where's Cavor?" he repeated. "Don't even try lying, because if you do, I'll come back and kill both of you."

"Mr. Quatermain, tell him nothing!" Mina gasped through her pain. Manco pulled back the hammer on his Peacemaker.

Quatermain pointed down a hallway. "That way. Room Five."

As Manco and Jesse left for Room Five, Quatermain shouted after them, "Do you realize this is an act of war?"

Manco turned back to the injured adventurer. "We've beaten you back twice before. I don't think there's anything for us to worry about."

Manco and Jesse went down the hallway and pushed open the door to Room Five. The place was a mess, cluttered with papers, instruments, and glassware. On a workbench in the middle of the lab was a cylindrical device, with green light shining through its glass panels. The Cavorite.

"Let's get it and get out of here," said Jesse.

"Stop!" A portly man jumped out from his hiding place under a table. He wore mismatched, rumpled clothes and a loosened tie. Under his arm, he held a bundle of dynamite. It was Professor Cavor

"My invention will _not _be a tool for destruction again!" Placing the dynamite next to the Cavorite, Cavor struck a match, lit the fuse, and ran out a back door.

Jesse pushed his shotgun into Manco's arms. "Take that and get out of here. I'll get the Cavorite." Before Manco could respond, Jesse had run into the room to get the case of Cavorite. Manco turned and ran but before he got too far, the dynamite exploded, throwing the mercenary off his feet.

"Jesse?" Manco called through the smoke billowing out of the demolished lab. Holding his poncho over his nose and mouth, Manco made his way into the smoke-filled room. His eyes burned as he strained to find his partner.

"I'm over here," said Jesse. Manco could see the "young" man pull himself up from the floor. His body was intact but the dynamite had reduced his clothing to shreds.

"Where's the Cavorite?" asked Manco.

Jesse pointed up. Manco looked up to see the Cavorite floating up through a hole in the ceiling and into the night sky.

"Dammit," Manco whispered, watching their prize float away.

"We have to get out of here," said Jesse.

Manco nodded. "Retreat."

**XXXXX**

The fighters in the front of the museum felt Cavor's dynamite shake the ground.

Nemo paused, his guard still up, as the Headless Horseman suddenly sheathed his sword. Taking the opportunity, Nemo lunged and planted his own sword right in the Horseman's chest.

The Horseman responded with a disembodied laugh. "Did you think you could kill me? Look at me! Do you think death is a concern of mine?" The Horseman climbed onto his dark horse. His shadowy mount reared up on its hind legs, whinnied loudly, and took off at a gallop straight towards the Museum's wall. The horse galloped effortlessly up the wall and over the roof.

"Woodchopper," said the Horseman, his voice no less clear from the distance, "take the witch and retreat."

Paul Bunyan, still locked in a struggle with Hyde, gave his opponent one final kick and turned to flee, grabbing the unconscious Morella on the way.

"Damn you, Bunyan! Don't you turn your back on me, you coward!"

"Forget them, Hyde," Nemo said calmly. "You'd only get in the way."

"Get in the way of what, darkie?" Hyde snarled.

"What do you think the fastest way out of London is?" asked Nemo as he pulled a flare from his belt. "The River Thames." And he fired a flare into the night sky.

**XXXXX**

Dorothy sat at the dock, waiting for the others to rejoin her. She had been approached by sailors, businessmen, and police officers, thinking she was a dockside prostitute, but before any of them could proposition her, she would teleport away on her shoes, only to return to the rendezvous point a moment later. She heard the dynamite explode and later saw the dazzling flare light up the dark sky. She knew that her teammates would be rejoining her soon.

Bunyan, carrying the unconscious Morella, was the first to find her.

"Mr. Bunyan," she asked, "what happened?"

"We heard this explosion. The Horseman galloped off and told us to retreat."

"Did we get the Cavorite?" asked Dorothy.

"No, we didn't." Dorothy and Bunyan turned to see Manco and Jesse, wrapped in rags, coming to join them.

"The mission is a failure," said Jesse.

"Not completely," said a disembodied voice. The Headless Horseman galloped seemingly out of nowhere, a struggling Professor Cavor held under one unnaturally strong arm.

"All right," said Manco. "Dorothy, let's…"

He was cut off by the sudden bubbling of the Thames. A giant metal ship rose from underneath the water. The name on the side read _Nautilus._

Armed crewmen emerged onto the submarine's deck, armed with strange guns and handheld cannons.

"Take cover!" Manco shouted. The American league fled to the cover of the alleyways as the crewmen began to fire at them. Bombs blew craters in the sidewalk and harpoon blades embedded themselves in walls. In the chaos of the attack, the league members were separated, keeping Dorothy from teleporting them to safety.

Manco drew his Colt Peacemaker and, with expert aim, felled six enemy sailors with six bullets. No one who lined up with his sights survived. Jesse fired his shotgun at the _Nautilus_, but the short-ranged weapon did little good. The Horseman, still holding onto the struggling Cavor, could do nothing. Morella remained unconscious.

"I'm almost out of bullets," Manco muttered to himself. He loaded his last six rounds into his weapon's cylinder. But before he could use them, a loud underwater explosion shook the _Nautilus_. The American league looked in shock as a second submarine emerged from beneath the river. The name written on its side was _Advance._ Beside its identification was a painted American flag.

As they had not been expecting a fight with another ship, the crew of the _Nautilus_ scrambled to load torpedoes into their launchers. This gave the _Advance _barely enough time to dock and lower a gangway. A crewmember fired a smoke bomb onto the deck of the _Nautilus_, allowing Manco's team to hurry into the submarine. The _Advance_ pulled up its gangway and sped away.

The inside of the _Advance _was large and luxurious. The ceiling was high enough so that even the giant Bunyan did not have to crouch. Crewmembers bustled about, arming weapons and monitoring equipment. Safe onboard, Bunyan handed the stirring Morella to a crew member. "Find her a place to rest," he rumbled.

"Who's in charge here?" said Manco.

"That would be me," said a man. He was blond and in the stage just in between youth and middle age. "Barton Swift, at your service."

"Sir," said one of Swift's men. "The _Nautilus_ is not pursuing us." Cavor groaned.

"Too bad," said Swift. "Captain Nemo and I have something of a rivalry. I'd have loved the chance to finally pit my submarine against his."

"But why aren't they pursuing us?" asked Manco. "That's the real question."

"They could be letting us go to find out where we make berth," said Bunyan.

"But how would they find that out without following us?" Swift wondered.

Amidst the noise of conversation, shouted orders, and working equipment, no one could hear an invisible man snicker. "_Aheheh_."


	3. Chapter 3

Two of Barton Swift's men dropped the helpless Professor Cavor into an interrogation room. The room was empty except for an electric light, a wooden table, and two chairs. On the table were a leather-bound notebook, a pen, and an inkwell. Cavor hurriedly stood as he was followed inside by Manco and Swift, who shut the door behind him. Cavor flinched as he heard the final snap of the lock.

"Please sit, Professor Cavor," said Swift as he himself sat down at the table. Shaking and sweating horribly, Cavor sat down in the other chair. Manco leaned against the wall.

"Professor, as a fellow scientist and engineer, I have the greatest respect for your work." Swift's tone was cordial, but his eyes never lost their vicious, predatory glint. "In fact, my fascination with your inventions is what prompted me to volunteer for this mission. That, and a fervent love for my country."

Cavor whimpered under Swift's gaze.

"And so, for the safety and progress of the United States of America, I am to learn from you the secrets of Cavorite by any means necessary." Swift drew from his pocket a small icepick. "It's up to you how painful those means are."

Manco straightened, his lips pursed in disapproval.

"You can't do this!" Cavor cried. "It's illegal! You're operatives of the American government!"

"Actually, no we're not," said Swift. "This submarine and this crew are all employees of a private company. Manco over there and all his friends are privately hired as well. The US government has no _official_ knowledge of our actions." He snickered. "So, tell us how to make Cavorite."

His voice shaking, Cavor began to hum "God Save the Queen," under his breath.

"Step aside," said the Headless Horseman's disembodied voice. Startled, Manco and Swift both turned to see the black-clad rider standing behind them. Neither of them had heard him enter.

The Horseman approached Cavor, drawing his saber. With one smooth cut, he slashed off Cavor's head in a splash of blood.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Swift screamed. "We were supposed to interrogate him, not kill him!"

"I should kill you right now," Manco growled through clenched teeth. He drew his Colt revolver.

The Horseman chuckled. It was a hollow, horrible sound. "Too late, bounty hunter," he said as he sheathed his sword. The Horseman picked up Cavor's severed head and placed it onto his shoulders. The flesh of the head soon melded with the Horseman's body and soon he was able to move it as if it were his own head. Now possessing all of Cavor's knowledge, the Horseman sat down at the desk and began to write the formula for Cavorite.

Swift laughed. "Impressive, specter. Most impressive."

Not saying anything, Manco left the room. Griffin followed.

Bunyan, Dorothy, Jesse, and the awakened Morella were waiting for him outside. "What happened?" asked Bunyan.

Manco started to explain, but then looked down at the innocent, frightened Dorothy. Bunyan nodded, understanding.

"Miss Gale," said Manco, "take us back to the Library of Congress."

Dorothy nodded, her eyes still glued to the closed door of the interrogation room, where the Headless Horseman was wearing a dead man's head and writing his greatest secret down. The rest of the team joined hands. Dorothy tapped her heels together.

Morella did not notice invisible fingers lightly pinching her sleeve.

**XXXXX**

After returning to the Library, Manco said, "Dorothy, I want you to return to your home in Kansas. Come back tomorrow morning."

"But why?" the young girl asked.

"There are things we have to discuss with Colonel Fleming. It would be better if a little girl like you weren't around for it."

Nodding, Dorothy tapped her heels together. "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home." She vanished.

"So what happened?" asked Bunyan.

"The Horseman killed Cavor," said Manco. "That demon put on his head and took the info for Cavorite right out of it."

Morella smirked. "You didn't know he could do that?"

Bunyan and Jesse, however, were horrified. "He killed an unarmed prisoner?" said Bunyan. "We gotta tell the Colonel!"

Manco nodded. "That's why we came here." But as they entered the Library of Congress, Manco doubted that it would do much good.

As the four entered Fleming's office, the Colonel greeted them warmly. "Welcome back! I just received a wireless message from Mr. Swift. He told me about your successful mission."

"Did he also tell you that the Headless Horseman killed Professor Cavor while he stood there smiling?" asked Manco.

"A minor sacrifice for our country's strength and security," said Fleming. "A necessary evil."

"And what about the British?" asked Jesse. "I don't think they're too happy with what we just did."

"You ask too many questions for soldiers," said Fleming. "Just be content…" He was interrupted by a clicking sound. A telegraph message printed out from the machine next to his desk.

"Wireless telegraphy," said Fleming as he picked up the paper. "Yet another magnificent creation of Swift Enterprises." Reading the message, he said, "Oh dear."

"What is it?" asked Jesse.

"The _Advance_ was boarded," said Fleming. "The notebook containing the Cavorite formula was stolen."

"Was it the Brits?" asked Manco.

"Never mind," Fleming said curtly. "My aides will ensure that you are paid. Dismissed."

Fleming crumpled up the message, tossed it into his ashtray, and burned it. He then began typing out a return message on his telegraph.

**XXXXX**

Barton's crew scrambled about the ship, making repairs and dragging wounded crewmen to the infirmary. Their attackers had traveled in a submersible boat far beyond the _Advance_ or the _Nautilus._ It was faster, its armor was tougher, and its weapons were stronger and more accurate. Once the submarine disabled their engines, the enemy crew had easily broken into the airlock, stolen the notebook with the Cavorite formula, and escaped, leaving the _Advance_ dead in the water. Its crew had to work quickly to get them running again before the air ran out.

The Headless Horseman, his ghostly black steed beside him, watched this all impassively. The undead being did not care about the survival of the crewmen. He stayed only for his own amusement, watching the poor, mortal beings struggle for survival, a struggle he would never have to fight again.

"I think we might be able to get her fixed," said Barton Swift. "And then, we'll get back to Washington. Good thing you still had Cavor's head, eh? Haha. Those idiots only got one copy. Hahaha." Swift's laughs sounded faint and desperate, as if he were trying to find some silver lining in the extremely dark cloud that had befallen him and his crew.

"Sir!" one of Swift's crew men called to him. "We're getting a message from Colonel Fleming."

"He got our distress call!" Swift said giddily. Hurrying over to the telegraph, his face fell. "Nothing's printing out."

"The telegraph doesn't seem to be damaged, sir," said the crewman. "And the signal is slightly unusual. I don't think it's a message."

"Well if the signal isn't for communicating, then what is it for?"

As if in answer, the wireless signal reached the explosives strategically hidden in the structure of the _Advance_. As they detonated, the submarine's hull was torn apart. Water flooded in, crewmen drowned, and the ship sank to the ocean floor.

**XXXXX**

The _CSS Sword_, formerly the _HMS Sword_, was not a large submarine, nor was it a well armed one. In fact, the _Sword_ originally had no offensive weapons, its only means of defense being its strong armor, allowing it to ram its enemies. The submarine, along with a few others, had been secretly given to the Confederacy by Great Britain, allowing the Confederates to bypass Union blockades. Even now, over forty years after the war, remaining Confederate sympathizers had managed to keep the _Sword_ a secret, hidden away in the Rivington Harbor. And now, the mysterious "Rivington men" who had set up shop in the North Carolina town had given the submarine modifications that were, quite literally, futuristic.

As the _Sword_ silently pulled into Rivington Harbor at the dead of night, its small crew was greeted by none other than Ben Cameron himself. The Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan was flanked by several white-robed men carrying the incredible rapid-firing rifles that the Rivington men had brought to them. The AK-47, as the Rivington men called it, was a weapon that could put the power of a Gatling gun into the hands of one man.

After the _Sword_ docked, Andries Rhoodie, leader of the Rivington men, climbed out of the submarine, triumphantly holding up a leather-bound notebook. Cameron held out his white-gloved hand. "Welcome back, Mr. Rhoodie."

"_Heil Hynkel_," Rhoodie answered reflexively before reminding himself that Cameron would have no idea who Hynkel was.

"I take it your mission was successful?" said Cameron as he accepted the notebook from Rhoodie.

"Yes it was," Rhoodie answered in his untraceable accent. "Soon the Klan will be fully airborne and you'll be able to finish off those nigger-lovers in Washington. It will save our Aryan birthright."

"And the South shall rise again," said Cameron, grinning to himself.

**XXXXX**

There! That's three chapters of The American League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I hope you've enjoyed reading it so far. In case you need it, here is a list of characters and the works they come from.

**Joe Manco** aka "The Man With No Name" – _A Fistful of Dollars; For a Few Dollars More; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly_

**Paul Bunyan** – American folklore

**Jesse Tuck **– _Tuck Everlasting_ by Natalie Babbitt

**Dorothy Gale** – _The Wizard of Oz_ by by L. Frank Baum and W.W. Denslow

**Morella** – Morella by Edgar Allen Poe

**The Headless Horseman – **The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

**Henry Fleming** – _The Red Badge of Courage_ by Stephen Crane

**Barton Swift** – The Tom Swift series by Victor Appleton

**Ben Cameron** – _The Birth of a Nation_

**Andries Rhoodie – **_The Guns of the South_ by Harry Turtledove


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